Release type ski binding



Sept. 3Q, 13 F. s. PRATT RELEASE TYPE sKI BINDING 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 5, 1956 ATTORNEYS Sept 3 1958' Fqs. PRATT 2,854,242

RELEASE TYPE SKI BINDING Filed Oct. 5, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 v gn y iff i i t R: N r & BY 4411M W ATTORNEYS 3% 195% F. s. PRATT RELEASE-TYPE SKI BINDING 5 Sheets-Shet 3 Filed 0st. 5, 1956 ATTORNEY nite This invention relates to a release type ski binding, more particularly to a ski binding of a type which will hold the ski boot more rigidly to the ski under normal conditions but will release the boot from the ski when subjected to unusual stresses which might result in injury to the skier.

In a ski binding, the main function is to bind the skiers boot to the ski in a manner such that he may accurately control the ski to perform all of the usual maneuvers peculiar to the sport. When, however, unusual circumstances arise such as a fall, or when the front end of the ski is caught and pulled from its intended path by an obstacle, the skiers ankle or leg may be subjected to forces great enough to cause injury if the boot worn by the skier is not automatically released from the ski.

Many attempts have been made to design such a binding, none of which have been satisfactory.

It will be noted that the forces necessary to hold the ski and boot together under all normal conditions of use are much less than the forces which would cause injury to the skier. It is seen, therefore, that an object of the present invention is to provide a ski binding which will hold the boot to the ski under all normal conditions but will automatically and immediately release the boot from the ski when the binding is subjected to forces in excess of the normal requirements.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a ski binding of the tight heel type which will hold the boot rigidly to the ski until the force between them is great enough to initiate a release action.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ski binding that will release the boot from the ski in each of three basic motions, namely, twist, lift of heel and lift of toe, and in which the release force associated with each one of these motions will be adjustable independently of the forces associated with the other two motions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a ski binding in which the adjustment of the required forces are easily made by means of a readily accessible adjusting device, the binding being compact and neat in appearance and having no loose pieces to become misplaced.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a releasable ski binding in which the release action requires only a very short movement of the boot with relation to the ski to be completely free of the ski.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become clear upon reading and following the specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts in the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of the ski equipped with the ski binding of this invention applied to a ski boot;

Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 66 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 5;

i-rates Patent 0 2,854,242 Patented Sept. 30, 1958 1C&

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevation showing the heel binding in manual release condition;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the toe binding illustrating release of the binding under an abnormal upward stress;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view in plan of the toe binding illustrating release of the boot under an abnormal side force;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a heel or toe plate; and

Figs. 12 and 13 are diagrammatic showings of the operation of the device as seen in Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawings, there is mounted on ski 10 a toe binding indicated generally at 11 and a heel binding at 12. These bindings 11 and 12 are spaced apart on the ski at a distance corresponding accurately to the length of the ski boot 13. This accuracy of spacing is accomplished by the provision of slots 14 in the base plate 15 of the heel binding which are engaged by beveled nuts 16 engaging in slots and coacting with bolts 17 to firmly clamp the heel binding bracket 18 to the base plate 15, as is seen in more detail in Figs. 5 and 7.

A similar adjustable means may be provided for at the toe binding, if desired.

The toe binding and the heel binding are essentially the same and may comprise a base plate 15 seen under the heel binding, a bracket 18, a cap 19 and a yoke 20. The bracket 18 includes an upstanding flange 18' pierced with three holes in horizontal alignment, through the outer two of which extend bolts 21 and 21 and through the center one extends bolt 22. Each of these three bolts is provided with a slidable sleeve 23 and an adjusting nut 24 mounted on the threaded end of the bolts remote from bracket 18. A compression spring 25 is mounted on each bolt to press against sleeve 23 at one end and adjusting nut 24 at the other. Cap 19 comprises a horizontal portion and two vertical portions of which the vertical portioris extend between bracket 18' and sleeve 23 of bolts 21 and 21 which pass through these vertically extended portions. Cap 19 is appropriately relieved on its under surface as seenin Fig. 3.

Yoke 20 comprises a horizontal and a vertical portion, the horizontal portion underlying the horizontal cap 19 and the vertical portion abutting bracket 18 between the vertical portions of the bracket and being pressed by the spring action of spring 25 on sleeve 23 of bolt 22 against bracket 18'.

Yoke 20 is provided at the free end, that is, toward the ski boot and just below the edge of cap 19 with a notch 26 into which lug 27 secured to the ski boot fits. This lug is formed as a projection extending upwardly from a plate 28 as is clear from Fig. 11 and is mounted by screws, rivets or other fastening means to the bottom of the heel and of the toe of the ski boot 13.

Bosses 29 are provided on the face of the vertical portions of cap 19 as seen in Figs. 1 and 9, on each side of the bolts 21 and 21 to localize and accurately position the point of action of the spring pressure against the cap element. Similar bosses 30 are provided above and below the bolt 22 on the vertical portion of a yoke 20 to localize and accurately locate the point of action of the spring pressure against the yoke element. The specific location of these bosses at the points described is not essential but have been chosen as representing the preferred embodiment.

Referring to Fig. 9, it will be seen that upon an excessive upward stress being applied to the ski boot toe, the lug 27 pressing against the free end of cap 19 will rotate the cap 19 against the spring pressure to release the lug and therefore the boot from the binding.

From Fig. 10 it is apparent that upon excessive lateral stress on the ski boot, lug 27 will rotate the yoke 20 against the spring pressure to release lug 27 from the yoke.

It is apparent that a combinationof these two stresses can cause simultaneously rotation of the cap and yoke so that lug 27 will be released from the binding regardless of the direction'in which the .excessive force isL applied.

Figs. 12 and 13 show an e'nlarged f ragmentary'detail of a portion of'the structure ofFig. 10. In this form the verticalportionofyoke is formed-with bosses 30 pressed out of the vertical portion 'of -theyoke and the edges of the 'verticalportion are formed as slightly curled portions 20 that embrace the vertical shoulders-18" of the bracket 18'. This preferred form of the interacting portions 'of yoke 20 and bracket lS' keeps the yoke 20 centered so that when an excessive lateral stress is applied to the yoke 20 by thelug27 the yoke will not move laterally .but will pivot about one or the otherof the shoulders 18? so' no binding stress will be applied against thebolt22. I T I .The means by which the ski boot may be readily mounted on, or removed from, the ski binding in normal use is illustrated in Figs; 5, 6,7 and 8. In these figures theeheel binding is illustrated. While it is believed to be preferable that only-the heel binding be provided with the manual release means used for this purpose, the toe binding could, of course, be similarly provided.

' It will be seen that to provide clearance so that the ski boot may be inserted in the binding it is necessary to'lift the cap 19 into disengaging position. In order to raise cap 19 into such disengaging position the heel bracket 18fis provided at its end with a forwardly extending flange 18' presenting an upwardly facing shoulder and cap 19 is provided with an apertured end flange 19 overlying flange 18", and with the aperture slightly above the shoulder of flange 18". A Y-shaped lever 31'overlies the springs of the heel binding with its two arms extending forwardly to the edge of the binding adjacent the end flange 19' and from which a cheek-piece 31' extends vertically downward over the apertured end flange 19'. A shaft 32 is rigidly secured to each of the cheek pieces 31 and extends through the aperture in the end flange. A cam 33 is mounted on the shaft 32. to be rotated by. lever 31. Cam 33 may be provided with a flat surface to hold the cap 19 in disengaging position as seen in Fig. 8 when lever 31 is in raised'position.

inputting on the ski the lever 31 is raised to place cap 19 of the heel binding in inoperative position. The toe lug 27 is then slid forward under the toe cap 19 into the yoke 20 of the toe binding. The heel is then lowered so that lug 27' on the heel passes-down just forward of cap 19 of the heel binding and into the notch of yoke 20. Lever 31' is then presseddown 'to release cap 19 to overlieheel lug 27. a e I l Although a' specific embodimentof theinvention has been described above, it 'will'be. understood that such changes'a'nd modifications in design, structure and details may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit-of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz' j 7 1. Aski binding comprising spaced holding devices mounted on a ski and adapted to respectively engage a ski boot at the toe and heel thereof, the boot toe holding device including a lug affixed to the meet the boot, and the boot heel holding device including a lug aflixed to the heel of the boot, each of said holding devices including an upwardly extending fixed bracket element. adjacent the boot, a horizontally swiugable yoke mounted on said bracket element extending toward said boot, a'notch in said yoke adapted to engage the vertical sides of the lug on the boot, to normally prevent lateral movement of the boot, a' vertically swiugable cap element mounted on said bracket having a portion overlying the notch in said yoke to engage the top of said lug to normally prevent upward movement of the boot, and first resilient means pressing said yoke and second resilient means pressing said cap element against said upwardly extending bracket to hold said yoke and said cap element in lug retaining position under normal conditions. i

2. A ski binding including a lug on a ski boot, a support mounted on a ski, a notched yoke mounted on said support and adapted to receive said lug in said notch to normally prevent only lateral movement thereof, and a cap member mounted on said support and overlying said yoke to engage said lug and normally prevent only vertical upward movement of said lug out of said notch, a first means to exert a force on said yoke and a second means to exert a forceon said cap member, said forces on said yoke and said cap members each being greater than required in ordinary use of said binding but by a force less than that likely to cause injury to the wearer so that the ski binding will release automatically under conditions of emergency without injury to the wearer.

3. The ski binding of claim 1 in which said heel binding is provided with a cam and lever means by which said cap of the heel holding device may be lifted into inoperative position so that the lug afixed to the heel of the boot may be inserted in, or removed from, the notch of the said yoke of the heel holding device. I p

4. The ski binding of claim 1 inwhich said yoke com prises a horizontal and a vertical portion, the vertical portion lying against the upwardly extending bracket element on the side thereof remote from said boot and said cap element comprises a horizontal portion adapted to overlie said .yoke and said notch, and comprising two spaced ver tical portions lying against the upwardly extending bracket element at each side of said'vertical portion of said yoke.

5. The ski binding of claim-4 in which said resilient means pressing said yoke against-said upwardly extending bracket element includes a bolt through said upwardly extending'bracket element and through said vertical portion of said yoke, a slidable sleeve mounted on said bolt adapted to press against said vertical portion-of said yoke, a compression spring about said bolt :to press against said sleeve and a nut on said bolt to adjust the compression of said spring to adjust the pressure pressing said-vertical portion against; said upwardly extending bracket element.

6. The ski-binding of. claim 4 in which said resilient means pressing said cap elementagainst said upwardly extending bracket element includes a pair of bolts extending through each of said upwardly extending bracket elements and through said spaced vertical portions of said cap elementia slidable sleeve mounted on said bolt adapted to press against said vertical portions of said cap element, a compression spring about each of said bolts to press against said sleeves and a nut mounted on each said bolt to adjust the compression of-said springs to adjust the pressure pressing saidvertical portions of said cap element against saidupwardly extending bracket element.

7. A ski binding element for use with 'a-ski boot on which a lug is mounted, said element comprising a support to be fixed to the'ski adjacent the positionof the lug on the boot when the boot is imposition on the ski, a horizontally swiugable member to engage the sides only of said lug, and a verticallyswingable member to engage the top only of said' lug, said members each being provided with force applying means normally holding said vertically and horizontally swingable members in lug retaining position, said force applying means each exerting a force less than that likely to cause injury to the wearer V by twisting of his leg sothat the ski binding will release automatically under unusual the wearer.

stresses to prevent injury to 8; A ski bindingelemen't for use with. a ski boot on which a lug is mounted, said'elementcomprisinga support to be fixed'to the ski adjacent the positionof said lug on the boot when the boot'is in position on the ski, releasable'means mounted on said support for engaging the sides onl y of said lug to .nor mally prevent lateral movement of said lug and releasable means mounted on said supportion engaging the agon of said lug to prevent Vertical movement of said lug, resilient means References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,573,955 Cubberley Nov. 6, 1951 6 Cubberley Nov. 4, 1952 Blanchard Apr. 13, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS France Apr. 27, 1955 Sweden Aug. 11, 1942 Switzerland Aug. 16, 1946 

